Input information processing apparatus, method and program

• US 20040199685A1
• Filed: 02/13/2004
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Frontech Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Frontech Limited (Fujitsu Limited), Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Atsushi, Hayamizu, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 7,209,985 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/67
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes

Abstract

There are provided, on the POS device unit side, a physical keyboard having a plurality of physical keys arranged thereon; a screen keyboard comprising a plurality of screen keys arranged and displayed on a screen having a touch panel arranged thereon adjacent the physical keyboard; and a key data transfer control unit which connects each of the physical keyboard and the screen keyboard to an input port, and transfers key data from an output port in accordance with the sequence of key operations of the physical keyboard and the screen keyboard. A keyboard control unit which notifies the key data transferred from the key data transfer control unit to the application processing unit for execution of processing is provided in the POS main body. When physical keys and screen keys are operated in succession, the key data are transferred in the sequence of key operations and notified to the application.

Claims

1. An input information processing apparatus comprising:

a physical keyboard which has a plurality of physical keys and generates key data through operation of said physical keys;

a screen keyboard which comprises a plurality of screen keys arranged and displayed on a screen having a touch panel arranged thereon, and generates key data through operation of said screen keys;

an input port to which said physical keyboard and said screen keyboard are connected;

an output port for transferring said key data;

an application processing unit which performs prescribed processing in accordance with said transferred key data;

a key data transfer control unit which transfers the key data entered from said input port through key operation on said physical keyboard and the key data from said input port through operation on said screen keyboard in accordance with an operating sequence for these keyboards via said output port; and

a keyboard control unit which notifies said application processing unit of said key data transferred from said key data transfer control unit for causing to execute processing.

2. The input information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said key data transfer control unit:

transfers key stroke data for each processing stroke of the physical key when said physical keys are operated in succession; and

transfers make coordinate data for each pressing stroke of the screen key, and transfers break coordinate data for each releasing stroke of the screen key when said screen keys are operated in succession.

3. The input information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when successively operating the physical keys and then the screen keys in duplication, said key data transfer control unit transfers key stroke data upon pressing a physical key, then transfers make coordinate data upon pressing a screen key, and then transfers break coordinate data upon releasing the screen key.

4. The input information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when successively operating the screen keys and then the physical keys in duplication, said key data transfer unit transfers make coordinate data upon pressing a screen key, suppresses transfer of key stroke data upon pressing a physical key while pressing a screen key, transfers break coordinate data upon releasing the screen key, and when pressing of the physical key is continued after releasing the screen key, transfers key stroke data in succession to the transfer of said break coordinate data.

5. The input information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said key data transfer unit transfers, when operating a physical key during operation of a screen key, make coordinate data upon pressing the screen key, suppresses transfer of key stroke data upon pressing the physical key during pressing of the screen key, and transfers break coordinate data upon releasing the screen key.

6. The input information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said keyboard control unit notifies the key data upon pressing the key from among the key data received from said key data transfer unit to the application processing unit for execution of processing, and suppresses notification of the key data upon releasing the key.

7. The input information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said keyboard control unit notifies the make coordinate data upon pressing the screen key from among the key data received from said key data transfer unit to the application processing unit to cause execution of the processing, and suppresses notification of the break coordinate data upon releasing the screen key.

8. The input information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said key data transfer control unit transfers key data upon pressing a key in response to key operation, and suppresses transfer of key data upon releasing the key.

9. The input information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said key data transfer control unit transfers make coordinate data upon pressing a screen key in response to key operation, and suppresses transfer of break coordinate data upon releasing the screen key.

10. The input information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said physical keyboard, said screen keyboard and said key device transfer control unit are provided in the POS device unit, together with a scanner unit which reads product barcode, and said keyboard control unit and said application processing unit are provided in a POS main body having a card register.

11. An input information processing method comprising:

a first event detecting step of detecting an event caused by operation of a physical key from the signal status of an input port connected to a physical keyboard which has a plurality of physical keys and generating key data through key operation to said physical keys;

a second event detecting step of detecting an event caused by operation of a screen key from the signal status of the input port connected to the screen keyboard which displays a plurality of screen keys on a screen comprising a touch panel and generating key data through key operation to said screen keys; and

a key data transfer controlling step of transferring key data entered from said input port through key operation on said physical keyboard and key data entered from said input port through key operation on said screen keyboard in accordance with an operating sequence for the both keyboards via an output port.

12. The input information processing method according to claim 11, further comprising a keyboard controlling step of notifying key data transferred in said key data transfer controlling step for execution.

13. The input information processing method according to claim 12, wherein said keyboard controlling step is to notify key data upon pressing the key from among the key data transferred in said key data step to the application for execution, and suppress notification of the key data upon releasing the key.

14. The input information processing method according to claim 11, wherein said key data transfer controlling step is to transfer the key data upon detecting a key pressing event for a key operation, and suppress key data transfer upon detecting a key releasing event.

15. A program which causes a computer composing a device control unit to execute:

a first event detecting step of detecting an event caused by operation of a physical key from the signal status of an input port connected to a physical keyboard which has a plurality of physical keys and generating key data through key operation to said physical keys;

a second event detecting step of detecting an event caused by operation of a screen key from the signal status of the input port connected to the screen keyboard which displays a plurality of screen keys on a screen comprising a touch panel and generating key data through key operation to said screen keys; and

a key data transfer controlling step of transferring key data entered from said input port through key operation on said physical keyboard and key data entered from said input port through key operation on said screen keyboard in accordance with an operating sequence for the both keyboards via an output port.

16. A program according to claim 15, wherein said key data transfer controlling step is to transfer the key data upon detecting a key pressing event for a key operation, and suppress key data transfer upon detecting a key releasing event.